NOAA: Global Temperature Update — November 2016

Greetings Meteorologists!

NOAA released its monthly global temperature analysis for November 2016 this morning. Over land and ocean surfaces combined, it was the 5th hottest November on record, at 1.31°F (0.73°C) above the 20th century average.

For the year-to-date, 2016 remains the hottest year in the global record, which goes back to 1880.

Some additional statistics:

• Breaking down the combined land and ocean surface temperatures for November: the temperatures over oceans were the 2nd hottest on record for November. Temperatures over land were the were 12th hottest.

• The September–November seasonal global land and ocean temperature was 1.39°F (0.77°C) above the 20th century average, making it the second hottest meteorological fall (northern hemisphere) on record. Only 2015 was hotter.

• Unless the December global temperature is 0.41°F (0.25°C) or less above the 20th century monthly average, 2016 will at least tie 2015 as the warmest year on record. The last month for which the departure from average was that low was November 2000.

• The NOAA numbers resembled the analysis released by NASA last week, which indicated that November 2016 was the second hottest November on record. Only November 2015 was hotter.

To represent how much the temperature has changed since the early industrial area, we have combined the NOAA and NASA analyses and adjusted them to a baseline of an 1881-1910 average. This is reflected in the first enclosed graphic.This year-to-date value indicates that 2016 is globally 2.21°F (1.23°C) above that 1881-1910 baseline.

Our second graphic is the year-to-date global map showing NOAA temperature anomalies (using their 20th century baseline), highlighting record heat over Alaska, the western North Atlantic Ocean, and Indonesia.

The graphics come with and without titles, and with and without background.